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Saturday, September 29, 2012

Tutorial: Abstract '80s

Hi everybody, welcome to my tutorial for the abstract '80s design! One thing I like about this design is the translucent triangle, for which I can use my sheer polishes. I normally avoid those because they take so many layers to get opaque, but from now on they have a purpose! (Next to glitter sandwiches. ;-)) But the sheer triangle comes only at the end, so apart from a sheer polish you'll also need a basecolor and a polish for the angled shape in step 4. Let me show you how it works then!

Start by cutting a few straight pieces of tape. I do it by taking of a little piece (±1inch/2,5cm) off the roll first which I cut in smaller strips lengthwise. You don't have to cut it in smaller pieces, but I always do because smaller pieces adapt better to the curving of the nail, plus I don't like to waste things unnecessarily.

Please note that I only use the colored tape you see for the pictures of this tutorial. Normally I use regular stationery tape. The translucency can be a great advantage in some cases, but for pictures it makes the tape harder to see.

Then apply the base color you like (if necessary with a basecoat underneath) and let it dry completely. To speed up the drying process you can apply a fast drying topcoat. I personally like Seche Vite, which lets my polish dry in about 10 minutes.

Now we're going to make an angled shape in the corner of the nail. Just take two tape strips and one by one place them on the nail like shown in the picture, covering up the parts that shouldn't get painted. (The exposed area is how your shape is going to look.)

Carefully apply your layering polish with a thin and even coat and remove the tape right away. By removing the strips right away, you'll prevent the polish from sticking to the tape which can cause rough edges. Remove the strips individually, if you can. Most of the time this will keep your lines crisper.

If your first shape has dried properly, we can start on the second one; a triangle. Place three tape strips individually on the nail, forming a triangle. Make sure to overlap part of the first shape for that playful see-through effect.

Now apply the sheer polish on top, also with a thin and even coat and remove the tape strips right after. Finish with topcoat and your design is done!

Finally some useful tips:

For my tape manis, all I use is regular stationery tape. But you might prefer something else, so just experiment with different sorts of tape to figure out what works best for you.

For your base color you can use any polish you like, however one-coaters will allow you to place the tape much sooner because those are usually fast drying. Of course you can also quicken the drying of polishes that require several coats to cover, by applying a fast drying topcoat. (I use Seche Vite).

Your layering color(s) can be either a one- or two-coater. Because you've already applied a base color, most polishes that usually take two coats to cover now will do with one.

You might want to leave the cut strips somewhere else than the edge of your desk/table, to prevent them from getting stuck to the surface while you're busy. You do not want to have to peel them off with your freshly painted claws!

When you're removing the tape strips, try to remove them individually, if you can, because most of the time your design will come out neater this way

Using tweezers to remove the tape strips can prevent your freshly painted nails from getting smudged.

It's not always necessary to start all over if you've messed up your design, often a little touch-up with a nailart brush can solve the problem.

If you want to use a matt topcoat, use a regular one underneath. My experience with matt topcoats is that they smudge the design very easily, even when it's completely dry. Applying a normal topcoat first will prevent that.

Moisterize your skin afterwards, because the tape can really dry it out!

You can practice this tutorial on your old mani that you applied a day (or more) before. That way it's certain that the base color is dry.

Have fun and practice makes perfect ;)

I would absolutely love to see your attempt on my design, so feel free to leave a link to your creation in the comment section!

Polishes I used in this post are OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui, Orly Ancient Jade and Color Club Warhol.

I usually find that people recommend leaving the tape until the polish has completely dried to achieve crisper lines, and I thought I must be doing something wrong because it totally opposite for me... I'm glad I'm not the only one :D .

its awesome i love this idea!! I never thought of this before!!I tried it, i made sure the coat was totally dry and put the strips of tape. But when i removed them, the polish came off. How do i make sure that doesnt happen?

I think some polishes might react to the tape, which causes them to get tacky again. Try using a fastdrying topcoat on top before placing the tape. I've never experienced any problems when doing that. Hope this helps!

Ello Jane ;)umm.. I was just wondering.. When will you post more tutorials? I LOVE UR TUTORIALS as they're so easy to do, but they look extremely elegant. Also, I had the same question as the person above. What could I do instead?

Hi Melon, thanks for your comment! Excuse me for the late reply, but in the meantime I've managed to post two more tutorials, hope you enjoyed them! As for the question about tape manis, see my answer above. :-)